Zero Amount Authorizations

Account verification with zero amount authorization is a standard e-commerce practice where you send a zero amount transaction to verify a card is valid and whether the card is lost or stolen. You cannot capture a zero amount authorization.

Most card networks refer to card account validation as zero amount authorization (ZAA). These card networks have their own names for the service:

Discover Zero Dollar Authorization
Visa Account Verification

Supported Processors

Chase Paymentech Solutions
Elavon Americas
FDC Nashville Global
Fiserv RapidConnect
Streamline
Worldpay VAP

Processor-Specific Information

Chase Paymentech Solutions

AVS and CVN are supported.
Card types: American Express, Diners Club, Mastercard, Visa

Elavon Americas

AVS and CVN are supported.
Card types: American Express, China UnionPay, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa

FDC Nashville Global

AVS and CVN are supported. CVN is not supported for American Express.
Card types: American Express, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Discover and Diners Club—only USD is supported for zero amount authorizations.
American Express, Mastercard, and Visa—all currencies that are supported for standard authorizations are also supported for zero amount authorizations.

Streamline

AVS and CVN are supported.
Card types: JCB (no 3-D Secure), Maestro (International), Maestro (UK Domestic), Mastercard, Visa
All currencies that are supported for standard authorizations for Streamline are also supported for zero amount authorizations.

Visa Platform Connect

AVS and CVN are supported.
Card types: Mastercard, Visa
Supported for Internet, MOTO, and card-present transactions. Do not try to perform a zero amount authorization for a recurring payment, installment payment, or payer authorization transaction.

Worldpay VAP

AVS and CVN are supported.
Card types: American Express, Diners Club, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa

Merchant Category Codes

When your business signs up with , assigns your account a merchant category code (MCC) based on your primary business type. sends this MCC to the card networks with every transaction you process. If you process a transaction that is unrelated to your usual goods or services, include the merchantInformation.categoryCode field and set it to the relevant MCC. and FDC Nashville Global do not validate the MCC you send. Using an incorrect MCC can result in increased decline rates, interchange downgrades, or fines. To verify the correct MCC, contact your account manager.

Endpoints

POST /pts/v2/payments

Example

Standard Example

{  "orderInformation": {    "billTo": {      "country": "US",      "lastName": "Kim",      "address1": "201 S. Division St.",      "postalCode": "48104-2201",      "locality": "Ann Arbor",      "administrativeArea": "MI",      "firstName": "Kyong-Jin",      "email": "[email protected]"    },    "amountDetails": {      "totalAmount": "0.00",      "currency": "usd"    }  },  "paymentInformation": {    "card": {      "expirationYear": "2030",      "number": "CARD_NUMBER",      "expirationMonth": "12"    }  }}

{  "_links": {    "authReversal": {      "method": "POST",      "href": "/pts/v2/payments/6461731521426399003473/reversals"    },    "self": {      "method": "GET",      "href": "/pts/v2/payments/6461731521426399003473"    },    "capture": {      "method": "POST",      "href": "/pts/v2/payments/6461731521426399003473/captures"    }  },  "clientReferenceInformation": {    "code": "1646173152047"  },  "id": "6461731521426399003473",  "orderInformation": {    "amountDetails": {      "authorizedAmount": "0",      "currency": "usd"    }  },  "paymentAccountInformation": {    "card": {      "type": "001"    }  },  "paymentInformation": {    "tokenizedCard": {      "type": "001"    },    "card": {      "type": "001"    }  },  "processorInformation": {    "systemTraceAuditNumber": "862481",    "approvalCode": "831000",    "merchantAdvice": {      "code": "01",      "codeRaw": "M001"    },    "responseDetails": "ABC",    "networkTransactionId": "016153570198200",    "consumerAuthenticationResponse": {      "code": "2",      "codeRaw": "2"    },    "transactionId": "016153570198200",    "responseCode": "00",    "avs": {      "code": "Y",      "codeRaw": "Y"    }  },  "reconciliationId": "6461731521426399003473",  "status": "AUTHORIZED",  "submitTimeUtc": "2026-03-01T22:19:12Z"}

Fiserv RapidConnect Example

{  "clientReferenceInformation": {    "code": "1234567890",    "reconcilationId": "000000050000752"  },  "processingInformation": {    "actionList": [      "TOKEN_CREATE"    ],    "actionTokenTypes": [      "customer",      "paymentInstrument",      "shippingAddress"    ]  },  "orderInformation": {    "billTo": {      "country": "US",      "firstName": "John",      "lastName": "Smith",      "phoneNumber": "650-965-6111",      "address2": "Room 2-2123",      "address1": "600 Morgan Falls Road",      "postalCode": "94566",      "locality": "Atlanta",      "administrativeArea": "MI",      "email": "[email protected]"    },    "amountDetails": {      "totalAmount": "0",      "currency": "USD"    }  },  "paymentInformation": {    "card": {      "expirationYear": "2030",      "number": "CARD_NUMBER",      "expirationMonth": "12",      "type": "001"    }  }}

{  "embeddedActions": {    "TOKEN_CREATE": {      "status": "SUCCESS"    }  },  "paymentInformation": {    "bin": "411111",    "issuer": "CONOTOXIA SP. Z O.O",    "binCountry": "PL",    "accountType": "Visa Classic",    "cardBrand": "VISA",    "cardType": "001"  },  "submitTimeUtc": "2026-03-10T18:38:09Z",  "processorInformation": {    "approvalCode": "OK1272",    "responseCodeSource": "4",    "networkTransactionId": "0014239537635196CN",    "responseCode": "000"  },  "_links": {    "capture": {      "href": "/pts/v2/payments/7416318895663232235535/captures",      "method": "POST"    },    "reversal": {      "href": "/pts/v2/payments/7416318895663232235535/reversals",      "method": "POST"    },    "self": {      "method": "GET",      "href": "/pts/v2/payments/7416318895663232235535"    }  },  "consumerAuthenticationResponse": {    "systemTraceAuditNumber": "500016",    "merchantNumber": "RCTST1000107085"  },  "orderInformation": {    "amountDetails": {      "authorizedAmount": "0000000000.00"    }  },  "message": "Successful transaction.",  "clientReferenceInformation": {    "code": "001234567890"  },  "reconciliationId": "000000050000752",  "pointOfSaleInformation": {    "terminalId": "00000001"  },  "id": "7416318895663232235535",  "status": "AUTHORIZED",  "tokenInformation": {    "instrumentIdentifierNew": false,    "customer": {      "id": "300220A7824EF32AE0634136CF0A7425"    },    "instrumentIdentifier": {      "id": "7018759999957811111",      "state": "ACTIVE"    },    "paymentInstrument": {      "id": "300220A78257F32AE0634136CF0A7425"    },    "shippingAddress": {      "id": "300220A7825AF32AE0634136CF0A7425"    }  }}

Required Fields

Default Fields

These fields are required when processing a zero amount authorization.

Field	Description
`clientReferenceInformation.transactionId`	—
`merchantInformation.transactionLocalDateTime`	—
`orderInformation.amountDetails.currency`	—
`orderInformation.amountDetails.totalAmount`	Set this value to `0`.
`orderInformation.billTo.address1`	—
`orderInformation.billTo.administrativeArea`	—
`orderInformation.billTo.country`	—
`orderInformation.billTo.email`	—
`orderInformation.billTo.firstName`	—
`orderInformation.billTo.lastName`	—
`orderInformation.billTo.locality`	—
`orderInformation.billTo.postalCode`	—
`paymentInformation.card.expirationMonth`	—
`paymentInformation.card.expirationYear`	—
`paymentInformation.card.number`	—

Processor-Specific Required Fields

Visa Platform Connect Required Fields

In addition to the default required fields, Visa Platform Connect requires this field:

Field	Description
`processingInformation.authorizationOptions.cardVerificationIndicator`	Set the value to `true`.

Fiserv RapidConnect Required Fields

In addition to the default required fields, Fiserv RapidConnect requires these fields:

Field	Description
`clientReferenceInformation.code`	Order reference or tracking number. Provide a unique value for each transaction so that you can perform meaningful searches for the transaction.
`clientReferenceInformation.reconciliationId`	—
`orderInformation.billTo.address2`	—
`orderInformation.billTo.phoneNumber`	—
`processingInformation.actionList`	Set the value to `TOKEN_CREATE`.
`processingInformation.actionTokenTypes`	Set to one or more of these values: `customer`, `paymentInstrument`, `shippingAddress`.

Country-Specific Required Fields

Use these country-specific required fields to process a zero amount authorization.

Argentina

Field	Description
`merchantInformation.taxId`	Required for Mastercard transactions.
`merchantInformation.transactionLocalDateTime`	Required in Argentina when the time zone is not included in your account. Otherwise, this field is optional.

Brazil

Field	Description
`paymentInformation.card.sourceAccountType`	Required for combo card transactions.
`paymentInformation.card.sourceAccountTypeDetails`	Required for combo card line-of-credit and prepaid-card transactions.

Saudi Arabia

Field	Description
`processingInformation.authorizationOptions.transactionMode`	—

Taiwan

Field	Description
`paymentInformation.card.hashedNumber`	—

Was this page helpful?

Last published: October 28, 2026